2023 AWARD WINNER | Cardiff School of Art & Design

HANNAH WADE | Cardiff School of Art & Design | BA (Hons) Ceramic Design

Recipient of the Potclays Graduate Award in 2023 as part of our Educlaytion programme

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Tell us about yourself, your work, and your career path so far.

I’ve been working with clay for almost 5 years now, before then I had never really worked with it aside from one-off school projects with air-dry clay. Joining as a member at Sundragon Community Pottery in Birmingham gave me the chance to immerse in a completely new skillset which led me to pursuing a Ceramics degree at Cardiff School of Art and Design. Now my work explores the applications of ceramics within existing interior architecture using a combination of digital technologies and traditional techniques. I’ve also been exploring the addition of ceramic waste and ceramic compatible waste as value-added materials to clay bodies.

Describe your first encounter with clay?

I began working with clay after first taking a course at Sundragon Community Pottery in 2019. I had never worked with clay before but on seeing the availability of the course wanted to try something new. I followed up with multiple courses at the pottery, learning different skills and techniques within ceramics. Having been exposed to the vast range of practices and the core values of community engagement and the nurturing of the culture of ceramics, I decided to join their membership to develops my skills, interests, and values further.

Why did you choose ceramics?

There is a great versatility to ceramics as a material-led field which means it touches a huge range of contexts. There is also always something new to learn within ceramics, whatever stage you’re at working with the material, which I really enjoy and appreciate as a maker.

Where do you find inspiration? Places, people, objects, music…

I mainly find inspiration in organic structures, maybe more specifically the way chaotic variables meet mathematical order to create unique structures in the natural world. Within this I also like to play with scale to create something which may be less expected in certain spaces. Digital technologies can really lend themselves to this, but I also find myself being inspired by the processes of digital fabrication itself.

What are the tools of your trade that you can't do without?

By the nature of how they are made using CNC machining and lengthy mould making processes I have found myself being quite protective of the plaster moulds I have made for my architectural ceramic projects. As the works usually comprise of repeats, I need the moulds to be able to grow the body of work and would have to start over without them. Another more unusual answer in the context of ceramics would be a decent hammer. I need this for breaking up waste materials into aggregates for the clay bodies I use but I’m hoping I can find more efficient ways to achieve this in the future.

What is a typical day in the studio like?

When I first arrive at the studio I’ll usually start straight away with press-moulding some modules using the two plaster moulds I have. If I have been organised enough the previous day, I will already have some clay aggregate mix ready to use. As this can be quite time-consuming and almost meditative, it gives me a chance to think through the rest of the day. Typically, while the pieces are drying, I will follow up with preparing aggregates using a hammer and chisel, preparing some material tests and/or preparing some more clay aggregate mixes. The other side of the work involves the fixtures and fittings alongside the curation which takes a lot of trial and error so this would consume much of the rest of the day. The studio days could seem slightly repetitive, but it was good to have a routine leading up to a large project deadline.

What do the next 12 months have in store for you?

I am extremely grateful to have been accepted onto the graduate residency at Fireworks Clay Studios in Cardiff. There I will have access to a studio space among other working ceramicists where I am hoping to develop my current work and methods and continue my material research. I’m really excited about their mentoring scheme to be able to learn from other makers as well as learn about the way studios can continue to operate on voluntary contributions as I see some parallels with the studio I first started at.

What advice do you have for those currently studying ceramics in further education?

The opportunity to study Ceramics is something I’m really grateful for as there is so much access to materials and processes which are far less available outside of study. I would say to take the time to experiment not only within your own field but also the many other facilities that may be available. There are also a lot of people who can offer a completely different perspective from different disciplines so you could also find completely new ways of working.